


O Little Town Of Arcadia Bay

by mshawkeye



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 14:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5589049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mshawkeye/pseuds/mshawkeye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been months since Chloe died in a bathroom in Blackwell Academy. Nathan Prescott has been arrested, and Arcadia Bay is just trying to heal. Max herself has barely come to terms with Chloe's death, and there's a giant snowstorm headed for Arcadia Bay, leaving her Christmas plans ruined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	O Little Town Of Arcadia Bay

 

Where else would I go to eat but the Two Whales? Sure there are other restaurants in Arcadia Bay still standing after the storm, but whenever I think about what I want to eat I always end up sitting in our booth at Two Whales, ordering my favorite belgian waffle. Sometimes I feel like I can imagine Chloe sitting there across from me, smiling and laughing back at me as we eat, just like we used to.

It’s cold outside, I have to start wearing my beanie now, given that winter is starting to set in. October felt like it was just a few days ago, even though it’s been two months since... then. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that time still doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me. The seasons still change, even though it hasn’t snowed yet, the forecasters keep saying we are in for a snowstorm, the biggest they’d seen in decades.

“Heya sweetie, how are ya holdin’ up?” It’s Chloe’s mother, Joyce, putting on a smile that is as fake as the one that I’ve been using everyday since Chloe’s funeral. She looks skinnier, I think, but I wouldn’t actually say that out loud. I’m pretty sure I know why anyways.

“Joyce... I’m okay, really. You’re the one I’m worried about. I couldn’t believe you went back to work already,” I say. My voice wavered just a little, despite my best attempts. I feel like an idiot, but she just looks at me with her usual sad smile, only making me feel worse.

“Someone’s gotta pay the bills, and with David on suspension, it’s up to me to keep our house from being foreclosed on.” Joyce refills my coffee cup, before a look of sad realization seems to wash over her face. “Sorry Max, I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that.”

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you. It just really sucks that the school blamed David for what happened, just because he was the security officer. I hope they realize it wasn’t his fault.” I know a short time ago I would have been happy for David Madsen to be fired from Blackwell Academy, but now... I just felt as bad for him as I felt for Joyce. He truly loved Chloe, despite everything. We all did, I thought, which ended up nearly making me cry again for the hundredth time this week.

“It doesn’t look like they are planning on firing him, I think the school just had to point the blame at someone for everything,” she said.

“I think everyone is focusing on Mr. Jefferson, I’m sure he’s going to go away for a long time. I’m hoping that Nathan and get the help he needs,” I said. Even though Nathan pulled the trigger, because I can never forget that voicemail he sent me before he died in the other timeline. I know everyone else can’t understand how I can forgive him at all, but that’s another of the thousands of secrets I feel like I will have to keep for the rest of my life.

Joyce understands. Or maybe she doesn’t. I know she hates the Prescotts more than ever, as does everyone else in this town, but I hope that she can understand that I don’t share in the blind hatred that they do. Joyce is like a second mother to me, if anyone were to understand I think it would be her, even if I can never tell her everything.

“Sometimes it’s easy to forget you’re still just a kid, Max.” I could see Joyce shaking her head, sighing. More than anything it looks like to me that Joyce is just going through the motions. Given how I barely went to school in the last two months myself leading up to the Christmas break I can understand.

“Joyce, order up!” The cook calls out to Joyce, and she ends up having to excuse herself to take the plate to another diner. Honestly, I’m a little thankful. Even though I like talking to Joyce, sometimes I just... can’t stop feeling guilty whenever I look at her eyes. I want to tell her everything. I want to tell her how much I loved Chloe. How we kissed. How we would have probably spent the rest of our natural lives together if it weren’t for everything. But nothing comes out, I’m stuck feeling like I’m outside of the world looking in, keeping secrets that I don’t want to have.

“I’ll talk to you later sweetie... I’ll tell David you said hi. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear it,” Joyce said before taking the empty pot of coffee with her back to the counter. I just wave goodbye, before looking at the waffle in front of me thinking about how I lost my appetite.

I know she doesn’t blame me, how could she, no one knows I was in the bathroom when Chloe.. when Nathan shot her. Time travel isn’t something that a normal person would believe. But I know if I told her anything she’d blame me.

...I mean,  I still kind of blame me.

 

* * *

 

Leaving the diner, I get a text message, my phone buzzing deep in my winter coat’s pocket. Two actually, one from my mom I must have missed while I was eating, and another from Kate.

My mom’s reads:

> Hi Maxine it’s your mother. Are you still planning to come home to Seattle for Xmas? Your father and I would love to see you. Please call me when you can.
> 
> 12/22 9:42am

I know I should call her. I should have called her a week ago to make plans on her picking me up from the bus station in Seattle.. but I haven’t even bought the ticket back there yet. I don’t know what I want to do. But I know I don’t want to sit around with my family and have them ask me questions about Chloe, about Blackwell, about Jefferson. They won’t understand, and I don’t think I have it in me to see them right now. I want to stay here in the dorms, and just listen to music, or maybe even take up Joyce on her offer to spend Christmas with her and David. But that might just hurt even more.

The other message that just came in is from Kate:

> Max! What are you up to right now? I just bought a new plant and you totally have to come over and see it.
> 
> ...I feel like we haven’t hung out much lately. I’d love to see you before I head home tomorrow for Christmas.
> 
> 12/22 10:01am

It’s true. I haven’t spent much time with Kate since everything. I helped her again, before she ever made it up to the roof, but without the time travel powers I felt like I made more mistakes in talking to her than I have before. It pains me to see her now still, but I don’t know if that’s her fault, or the fact that it still just hurts living here in Arcadia Bay as the sole survivor of a deadly storm that never actually happened.

But if Kate is going home for the holidays, then I want to say goodbye to her. I send her a quick message:

> I was just eating at the Two Whales and talking to Joyce. I’ll be back in the dorms in like twenty minutes. Don’t let your new plant start dancing or singing or anything until I get there to photograph it!
> 
> 12/22 10:08am

And I start walking, tugging the blue beanie down over my head a little tighter against the wind. Luckily, it seems like the snow has held off for the time being, but it feels like it could come down at any moment.

 

* * *

 

The dorm is mostly empty today, most people have already gone home to be with their families. The usual sounds of people listening to music, talking, or showering are missing. There’s white Christmas lights lining the hallways, with the notice board covered in red and green paper decorations, as well as actual frost in the windows really makes it feel like Christmas. 

The Halloween decorations are all gone, and no more posters advertising the Vortex Club. With Nathan now in jail waiting for his trial, it seems like the school has finally cracked down on their activities. Which leaves people like Victoria understandably directionless between Nathan and Jefferson turning out to be what they were.

The strangest thing of all is that I hear Victoria’s voice as I head down the hallway toward my room, coming from the bathroom. I don’t plan to listen in on her conversation, but when I hear “Kate” I can’t stop myself from stopping, leaning against the wall.

“--Kate, okay? I mean, if you don’t want it you can just return it. I just... thought you could use something warmer than what you’ve been warming. Make sure your parents take you shopping or something when you go back home.” That’s definitely Victoria, but something sounds strange.

“R-Really, Victoria, thank you. I wasn’t expecting a gift at all.. I wish I had something to give you in return. It feels wrong just--” That was Kate’s voice?

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t need a gift back, it’s not like the eighteen hundreds anymore, I’m not going to get offended.” Even though.. it sounds like Victoria has done something nice for Kate, she sounds like she’s ashamed. Or maybe it’s just embarrassment in her voice. “But.. Merry Christmas. Alright?”

“Still.. thank you Victoria. You don’t know what this means to me to hear that from you,” Kate says. I turn my head just a little around the corner, hearing their voices stop.

What I see is something I never would have expected before. Kate’s arms around Victoria’s midsection, with her head resting on Victoria’s shoulder. But they break apart right away. Victoria doesn’t even look upset, she just looks surprised more than anything, slowly, hesitantly, moving her arms around Kate’s smaller body, resting her head against her. 

My heart hurts. I don’t know why. Seeing them makes the hole inside of me feel all the bigger. As I turn to leave to go to my room, I distinctly hear Victoria’s voice quietly saying “I’m so sorry Kate...”

 

* * *

 

A little while later, after I’ve gotten settled in my room listening to music, picking open a book I’ve been failing to read at for weeks now, I hear a knock at my door. It’s soft and gentle, it has to be Kate.

“Max? Can I... come in?” Before everything that happened, Kate would just have known she could have opened my door since I left it unlocked unless I was changing or something, but since Chloe’s death, I know everyone treats me differently. It makes me wonder. Would they have done the same to me if I hadn’t been able to talk Kate off the roof in October?

“Of course, it’s unlocked.” I close the book on Sal Paradise and his travels across America, wondering if maybe after I graduate from Blackwell if I would want to travel before college.

Despite the earlier hesitation in Kate’s voice, when she opens the door I see that she’s smiling and bright. Maybe it’s the time of year that has her in good cheer, or maybe that thing with Victoria has her spirits lifted. Maybe she’s just happy to see me. I know I can find a smile for her without too much difficulty, sitting up on my bed.

“Oh Max, did you really go outside? It’s freezing out there, they say it’s going to start snowing anytime soon!” She says, sounding worried.

“What about you? Aren’t your parents picking you up tomorrow to go home?” I push some things on the bed to the side, realizing just how messy this place has gotten without my noticing.

“It’s okay, my father has a big truck, he can get through anything. He once plowed right through a giant snowbank that someone had built up at the end of our driveway because he said he refused to miss a day of work,” Kate says, already moving around to pick up a few of the books on my floor.

“Kate, you don’t have to pick up after me, it’s okay, I’ll clean up soon.” It feels weird to be the one she’s worried about, but it’s comforting at the same time.

“You’ve been saying that for weeks. Why don’t you just let me help you, so that it will get done quicker?” She refuses to put those books done, instead trying to find a space in my already overfilled bookcase. “Have you even been watering that plant your parents got you?” 

“Oh... no, I guess I’ve just kept forgetting about that.” Already the leaves are starting to dry out. I know my mom’s going to ask about it. Maybe this is a good reason not to go home for Christmas. As if Max, I’m just being a mope and trying to find any reason not to do things I know I should do. 

“Max...” I can hear it in Kate’s voice. She’s already coming to sit next to me on the bed, saying the things I knew she would say. “You’ve gotta take care of yourself, you know? You can’t just--”

I cut her off. “I know Kate. Really, I’ll be fine. Thanks for worrying about me though.” I don’t stop her from sitting next to me, even if it feels odd.

“You really miss her? That girl, Chloe, right? I know it’s hard Max. But if you want to talk about it I’m right here.” Her voice is soft, gentle, warm, all the things that make her so amazing as my best friend. But I can’t tell her everything. I can barely tell her the start of it, because as far as anyone knows I didn’t even see Chloe when I came back to Arcadia Bay. The don’t know what we shared, or the things she had said to me.

“There’s nothing really to talk about Kate. Besides what brought her up?” I know that what’s still got me so deep in this pit even months later is all about Chloe, but it surprises me still that Kate knows it too.

“You went to see her mother today, didn’t you? And you’re wearing her hat now too,” Kate says.

I was wearing Chloe’s blue beanie. I found it in her room, along with this beat up copy of On The Road, and a handful of other things now living in my dorm room from her. At one time, I think I wanted to be more like Rachel, to get closer to Chloe. This is the same thing, as stupid as it sounds, I feel like I’m just trying to keep something in my life that reminds me of her. I won’t give up on her memory.

“It’s just cold, and it was all I had. Don’t worry Kate, I’m fine.” The words I’ve been repeating to everyone I know for months now. Maybe if I say it enough I’ll actually believe it myself.

“Well.. Warren and Brooke were looking for you earlier, to see if you wanted to meet up to watch some Christmas movies in the lounge before they leave tonight. How’s that sound?” I know Kate loves Christmas, the way she talks about those silly Rankin/Bass movies has her sounding positively giddy.

“Um, I was thinking about just trying to finish this book, you know it’s starting to get really good, you know?” Another lie. I don’t even know why I say it, it just comes out easier than agreeing to spend time with all of them together. 

“Okay Max. Just know that I’m here for you. We all are. If you want to talk at all during the break you can just call me. My parents will understand if I need to take a phonecall.”

“You’re way too nice to me, Kate Marsh. I wonder what I did to deserve a Christmas Angel like you,” I tell her, smiling as she gets back to her feet.

“Hahaha, Max, you’re so silly. I’m nothing like an angel, I’m just doing what any friend would do.” She still sounds glad to hear me call her that... “I’ll be back for dinner okay? Just-- Oh, it’s been snowing!”

She’s right. I turn to look out at the quad and I guess we missed the first flakes talking, there’s already a nearly thick cloud of snow falling outside. The thick kind that’s falling all quickly to be more than just a flurry. So much for my non-existent plans to go home for Christmas. It already looks like it’s got to be dangerous to drive in.

But there’s something out there, standing on the snow, right next to one of light poles. A doe. Like the one I saw months ago, in the junkyard. It’s staring back at me. Those eyes... I feel like I have to go outside, as I’m already grabbing my coat before I recognize that Kate’s talking to me.

“What is it Max? What’s wrong? Where are you going?” She sounds worried but I know how I must look. I must look insane. Because right now.. I feel the intense desire to go scream at some wildlife. “Did you see something outside?” Kate asks.

It hits me then that Kate doesn’t see it out there. Even as I turn back to the window, I see it staring right back at me. But Kate’s pressed her face to the glass and she doesn’t see it. It’s been months, why would something like this happen to me again? This was all supposed to be over, Arcadia Bay was supposed to be okay.

“Don’t worry about it, Kate, stay inside. I have just really have something I have to do. Go meet up with Warren.” Before she can even stop me I grab Chloe’s beanie and rush outside, hoping like hell that I’m not just seeing ghosts. If I was, I was hoping it'd be someone a little more human than than a deer.


End file.
